The Simple and the Complicated
by DanieXJ
Summary: A sequel to Beginning Anew. Kerry goes on a bit of a trip, and Kim has her own adventure as well.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Simple and the Complicated

Spoilers: Uh, the Series Finale of Guiding Light (sorta), the Series Finale of ER. The Episode "Rise Up" (5x07) of Grey's Anatomy, and the Episode "Heroes" (7x17+7x18) of Stargate SG-1. I think that's it. This is the sequel to Beginning Anew. So it's always helpful if you've read that too.

Disclaimers: I own none of these characters. Though some of 'em I made up. And though at some point I want to make money writing, not writing fanfiction.

******

"Why haven't you moved in with her yet Kimberly?"

Kim paused mid motion, water still dripping from the half dry plate. "It's only been seven months Grandma."

Kim's maternal grandmother, Nicole Fraiser, handed Kim another plate. "Keep drying. You're telling me that you haven't moved in with girlfriends sometimes within seven weeks Kimberly."

Kim put away the last plate and flipped the towel onto the counter. "Grandma, it's not as simple as that."

"You hate her kids."

"Grandma..."

Nicole hid her smile, "I'll take that as a no. So what are you scared of little one?"

Kim smiled at her grandmother's nickname for her. From the moment Kim had turned thirteen or so it had become highly ironic as Kim had kept growing, and Nicole, just like her two daughters, Kim' Mom and Janet, stayed short. "It's not... scared really."

Nicole guided Kim to the kitchen table and they both sat down. The elderly woman put her hands over Kim's. "Tell me."

Kim stared at the tablecloth, going over the pattern with her eyes. Finally she looked up, "It's too easy. Everything is going so well. We talk, we discuss, we've had misunderstandings, but cleared them up before they explode, and... she's even been open at work."

"So, you want to be a dirty little secret? I'm perplexed Kimberly, aren't all those things you said, aren't they all good things?"

Kim took her hands back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Because easy isn't good. Easy is what happens before the shit hits the fan."

Nicole smiled, "Should a professional head shrinker be speaking like that?"

Kim sighed, "So I have commitment issues, sue me. It's happened to me before. It'll happen again. An ex of hers, or mine, or... or... something."

Nicole stood and came to Kim's side. She gently pried Kim's arms away from her chest, "You love her." Kim nodded, "And do you truly believe she loves you?"

Kim sighed, "Of course. But sometimes love's not enough."

Nicole put a hand on Kim's shoulder, "Then trust that you two will get though whatever comes next together." Nicole paused, "And you should probably move in and do whatever it is that you people do instead of marrying. I donated to No on Prop 8. Did I tell you that? Back before it passed. It's criminal that such a thing passed in this day and age."

Kim stood and engulfed her grandmother in a hug, then stepped back, "You did tell me, and I love you so much Grandma. I should go though..."

"To get busy with her."

Kim's face and ears turned bright red, "Grandma..."

Nicole smiled, "Go, go..."

Kim leaned down and kissed Nicole's forehead, "Never change Grandma, love ya."

"Shoo, shoo, I love you too. Now go back to your love."

******

Cassie stared at the sink full of red stained dishes. An arm went around her waist. "We'll do them later, talk to your mother. How's your third year of residency going?"

Cassie and Janet both sat on Cassie's couch. "'bout the same as my second year did."

"Are you sleeping?"

Cassie laid her head back and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm fine. Really. Kerry wouldn't let me get away with being unprepared, mentally or physically. I sleep."

"Hey... hey..." Janet rubbed circles on her adopted daughter's back, "I know what residency is like Cassie."

Cassie put her head on Janet's shoulder. "Sorry. You're back seven months and and I'm already pushing you away. Like high school all over again huh."

Janet wrapped both her arms around Cassie, "That will only happen if I let it Cassandra. I didn't let it happen last time, I won't this time either. So, what's really wrong Cass?"

"It's... I can't shake the feeling that I got my slot as an ER resident at County because Doctor Weaver knew you way back when."

"Do you really think Kerry would do that Cassie?"

"No."

Janet continued, "And County's not a bad program, but you could have..."

"Janet... Mom. I like the Midwest." She sat up, "We should do the dishes, I have an early shift tomorrow. Are you coming in to say hello to Kerry?"

Janet watched as Cassie stood, "If that's okay with you."

"Of course, it'll take her focus from the rest of the department for a second."

Janet chuckled, "So, spinal taps, chest tubes, have you done them yet, or have you happened to find any parasitic aliens attached to anyone's brain stems?"

******

Kim let herself into Kerry's apartment and after shutting the door, paused. She looked around and thought on the difference between the relationship she now had with Kerry and the one they'd had years before. They were different situations too of course, Kerry had kids for one thing.

Her reverie was broken by a tap on the leg. "Henry, my man, what are you doing up so late?"

Henry shook his head, "Mama's frowning over numbers and forgot about bed." He glanced behind him, towards Kerry's study and wrinkled his nose. "And Jules is all stinky."

Kim bit her lip to keep from smiling, "'kay. Here's what we'll do. You can go start getting ready, teeth, face, Pjs, and I will unstink the little sister and get your Mom so she can say night to you both. Does that sound good?"

Henry nodded, "Can you say goodnight too?"

Kim ruffled Henry's hair, "Sure short stuff."

He went towards the bathroom as Kim moved to the room Henry and Juliana shared. She winced when she smelled Juliana's diaper, but soon had it changed and put the one year old back to bed.

She went to the study and leaned against the door jamb, hands crossed over her chest. Henry had been right. Kerry was frowning at something. The blonde finally spoke, "Personal or work?"

"Work." Kerry's head rose and she turned in the chair, "What time is it? You were..." She sighed when her gaze fell on a clock, "It's past Henry's bedtime. Damn..."

Kim caught Kerry before she got out of the room, "Hey, s'okay. He's getting ready. You don't usually bring work home with you. Budget kickin' your butt?"

Kerry blew a breath out, "Trying to find a way to not have to get rid of an attending and two nurses."

Kim uncrossed her arms, "You'll think of something. Can you do a residency thing with Surgery, or something with Pedes or the like? Maybe see if there are nurses who want to take ER shifts. Couple fewer benefit packages for... the man... and more hours for the nurses? Or no more paper clips, ever...?"

Kerry shook her head, "I'll think of something, but I'd rather just use your ideas." Kim smiled but didn't speak, "What are you doing here Kim, I thought you were going home after dinner with your grandmother?"

Kim shrugged, "Just wanted to see you. Didn't know I'd be walkin' into Lord of the Flies."

Kerry sighed, "You want to do this every hour of every day, just say the word, they're all yours, I'll be taking a vacation somewhere sunny with lots of liquor." Kim started to speak, but Kerry continued before the blonde could get any words out, "Anyway, I don't hear any water, guess we'd better say goodnight to the King of the Flies."

"I didn't... I meant..."

Kerry put two fingers over Kim's lips, "C'mon, he's a brilliant kid, but can't seem to go to sleep without a kiss goodnight."


	2. Chapter 2

"Wasn't actually my idea."

Erica chuckled, "Well, she is your better half."

"Do you think your other half will approve it?"

Erica shrugged, "Seventy, thirty I'd guess is its chances. But she's been at this for a bit now and she knows that as much as she wants us to cut people, we can only cut so much before patient care takes a nose dive and people start dying. Of course, my bottom line is helped by the fact that Kayson is bailing and if we ever get someone to replace him it won't be at the same salary. Hey, if you need a third pair of eyes again, just give me a call."

"Third?"

"You, Kim, one and two..."

Kerry shook her head, "Nope. We try hard to keep the bulk of our work, especially the admin crap, out of our relationship. Last time work got involved..." Kerry sighed, "Of course, she just seems like she has one foot out of the relationship no matter what I do. Every time I even hint at moving in she's off like a jack rabbit on another topic." Kerry regarded Erica and changed the subject, "Do you and Doris talk about the hospital?"

"We... ah, we're reassessing everything at the moment."

Kerry winced, "I didn't know."

"Really? The grapevine's been buzzing for weeks."

Kerry shrugged, "My part of the vine doesn't always keep me fully appraised."

"You should reprimand Randi for that."

Kerry chuckled, "Right. Well, if that's it, I should probably get going. Back to the grind."

"Me too."

They went their separate ways. Erica leaving and taking the elevator to the surgical floor while Kerry went to the admit desk. "Jerry..."

"Ah... Doctor Weaver, there's a Doctor in exam three with Cassie who says she knows you?"

"Short, with brown hair. I do. Jerry, could you find out if Doris has a free moment in her schedule today?"

"Will do."

Kerry started towards exam three, but was caught by Tony with Chaz in tow, "Doctor Gates."

He handed her a chart, "I'm coming up empty on this, thought we'd teach Chaz here how to get a second opinion."

Kerry glanced over Tony's shoulder, "Has your student been of help? Sometimes being closer to the book learning can help."

Chaz shook his head, "No idea Chief."

Kerry studied the chart, flipping between pages for a moment before handing it back, "I'd call for an Oncology consult."

"Cancer?" Tony nodded, "Right, that makes sense. Can't believe I missed it."

Kerry narrowed her eyes as Tony, "How long have you been on Doctor Gates?"

Tony paused, "Not long enough that I am required to go home."

"Tony."

Tony held his hands up, "I'm almost off, this one, she's my last patient."

Kerry nodded, "She better be Doctor Gates." She continued towards the exam rooms. She didn't quite get there as Kim popped out of a room and they nearly collided. Kim smirked, "Can you read my mind? Do you know what it is you do to me?"

Kerry shook her head, "First Superman movie. I thought you were cutting back on Psych Consults."

Kim shrugged, her hands and clipboard at her side, "The ER's just so damn irresistible."

Kerry shook her head against, "You've got me..." She reached up and gave Kim a kiss on the cheek, "Who's got you?"

Kim smiled and didn't think. The words just popped out for some reason. "I love you." Immediately she winced.

Kerry turned and stared at Kim for a long second, a slightly confused look on her face. Surprised that Kim had said the words. It wasn't that Kerry and Kim hid their relationship inside the hospital walls, but they kept it light. Both semi-consciously trying to prevent what happened the first time from happening again.

Kerry finally moved. She kissed Kim again, this time on the lips, "I love you too Kim." Then she left the blonde in the hall and entered the exam room. She smiled as she watched mother and daughter interact, "Janie..."

"Ker-bear."

Cassie looked between the two women, "I get the Ker-bear, but Janie?"

"Janie's got a gun..." There was no reaction from Cassie, "Hey, it's not that old a song." Still no reaction from Cassie. Kerry shook her head, "Look it up on iTunes or YouTube, it's at the beginning of the band alphabet. Anyway, how are you doing Jan? You look much better than the last time I saw you."

"You look worse."

Kerry shrugged, "No, apparently, I have a relationship as well as two kids six and under, but it's a tired tired. So... have you figured out your life yet? Where you're going to land?"

Janet shook her head, "Nope. A hospital somewhere I assume. Maybe they'll let me back as a Civilian at the Academy Hospital in Colorado Springs. I don't know."

"Are you free tonight? Come over and meet my kids?"

"A Kerry Dinner." A smile came to Janet's lips, "Wouldn't miss it."

Cassie sighed, "Great, my boss and mother having dinner without me there, whatever could go wrong?"

Janet put a hand on Cassie's shoulder, "We'll only talk about your glowing qualities."

"Promise."

Janet pointed at Kerry, "She prom...."

******

Kim was mentally whacking herself for just blurting her love you in the middle of Kerry's ER. Usually she had better control of her mouth. "Jerry, where's Dave? Calls me down for a consult, then disappears."

Jerry shrugged, "Probably outside waiting for an ambulance."

Kim sighed, "Yeah, okay. I'll find him myse..."

It was like a flash of lighting and a concussion grenade all in one. Not only did she see it, but she definitely felt the explosion as well. There hadn't been a boom though, it had been a weird distorted non sound that seemed to twang just a bit.

Kim was the first one to get to the doorway of the exam room. Her mouth dropped open as her right hand grabbed the cross she always wore around her neck. "God above."


	3. Chapter 3

"I've gotta go, something happened at the hospital."

Abby raised her still half asleep eyebrows, "You... have to go?"

"You probably should too Abs."

Abby pushed herself up and watched as Randi got dressed. "And you know this though, telepathy?"

Randi kissed Abby, "Phone call. It has something to do with Kerry and Cassie, the whole place is going insane."

Abby closed her eyes and leaned her head back, "Your people."

Randi's face hovered in front of Abby until the Doctor opened her eyes. Randi kissed her again before she swung on her vest, "She's yours too..."

Abby glanced at the clock and seemed to wake up a bit more, "It's almost my shift anyway. Go, go... get me all the details, make sure Kerry's okay."

Randi came to a sarcastic attention. "Aye, Aye Ma'am."

******

"Look. No one stole anything in that room Detective Kay Howard. I mean, it's all gone, and..." Kim sighed and stared around the room. Where the walls had been white, it looked as though they'd been painted black, and there was no things and no people other than the Detective, the bomb squad guy and Kim in the room.

Kim held her clipboard tight against her chest as she spoke. The dirty blonde haired Detective wasn't getting it, not that Kim got what happened either. Her head was whirring. How had someone gotten in such a big bomb, had Kerry felt it when the bomb had gone off, and then there was Henry and Jules, what would happen to them.

"Doctor Legaspi."

Kim shook herself out of her own head and into the real world, where Detective Howard was inquiring if Kim was hurt, "No, no... that's what I'm saying, there was a blast, but no... there was a sound, a big flash, a concussion, but there was no flying glass, none of the windows broke, the walls didn't blow out." She glanced around the exam room, "Every piece of equipment is gone in addition to Janet, Kerry and Cassie."

Both women looked up as the head of the Bomb Squad got done in the room and came over to them. "Are you sure that you saw them in here Doctor Legaspi?"

"I... I think so."

He nodded, "Thank you Doctor Legaspi. If you would step back outside please."

Kim sighed, but left the exam room and went back to the admit desk. Randi appeared, "You're not on."

"What happened? Where's Kerry?"

Kim shook her head, "She was... I think. She was in the room when it went off. I have to... Florina, I have to call Florina, have her take Jules and Henry." Kim's head snapped up, "Oh God, Jules, she's upstairs."

Kim picked up the phone and stared at the buttons. Randi spoke up, "2035."

"Thank you." She waited. "Claire... is Jules there?" Kim let a long breath out, "Thank you. I may be up. But it'll probably be Florina or her Uncle Eduardo who picks her up." She paused, "Down here or in my office." She hung up.

Everyone at the desk stared down the hall.

It was Dave who finally spoke, "It's like a locked room mystery on crack. Speaking of cracked, we have other patients."

People didn't get back to work as fast as if Kerry had barked at them, but after long looks at the exam room they did grab charts and the ER looked like an ER again. Kim put a hand to her forehead. "Damn, I... it doesn't seem real, and I have group in five minutes." She turned to Randi. "I thought, she was in there Randi, I... I should have moved in, or... or maybe if I didn't come back into her life she'd still be al..."

Randi slapped Kim across the cheek. And Kim jerked backwards. "What was..."

"Shut up for a second. Did you see her?"

Kim closed her eyes and ran the last few minutes through her brain. "Yes."

"Then you have two choices, go home and fall apart, or go upstairs and have your group session and if you keep your phone on you if I find out anything I'll text or call you."

Randi stood perfectly still and stared at Kim.

Kim stared back and then nodded, "I... I have to do group."

"Kim."

Kim had started towards the elevators and stopped and turned at Randi's voice, "She's not dead Kim."

Kim looked at Randi and choked out words, "Be-because you say so..." She cleared her throat and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Damn straight."

******

"Ahhh...." Kerry grit her teeth. It was like she had gone back in time four years. Pain flowed from her right leg, of course, the one that currently throbbed with pain was the one that had always been her 'good' one. She had landed on it, all of her on it. She groaned again. It didn't help that her head was killing her as well.

She looked around, Janet and Cassie were coming around, and speaking to each other. "Primitive Transporter?"

Janet nodded and put a hand to her head, "Not Asgard or Ancient or we wouldn't have these headaches. Maybe the Lucian Alliance?"

"But why. I know I haven't been around the SGC for a few years now, but neither have you. We have no value at all."

Kerry cleared her throat, "Excuse me, but, what the hell is going on?"

Cassie looked up and tilted her head to one side, "We're moving."

Janet closed her eyes, "And I'm guessing that we're not on the Hammond?"

"No you are not on the Hammond Doctor Janet Fraiser. This is a welcome surprise, in addition to you, I have managed to retrieve my most promising Hok'tar experiment. I didn't get to properly study you nearly as much as I wished the last time we saw one another."

Kerry blinked in surprise, both Janet and Cassie had looks of intense hate on their faces. She looked at the dark haired woman whose voice definitely didn't sound human, but like a cheesy movie's bad special effect. "So, you seem to know them, who the hell are you, and how the... how on Earth did you get us out of that room with no one seeing. Those must have been heavy drugs." The woman didn't answer, "I'm Kerry, again, who the hell are you?"

The exotic looking woman barely gave Kerry a glance, "You are insignificant, though I may use you when I'm done analyzing them. It's not wise to test out one's theories on one's self."

"You won't..."

Kerry didn't get done with her phrase as the woman brought up her hand. It had some sort of gold looking glove on it, and suddenly she was flying backwards and hit the wall with so much force that she nearly fell unconscious. But, she was Kerry bleeping Weaver, she had lived through decades of physical pain from her Congenital Hip Dysplasia and she was living through the sometimes mental pain of therapy, some evil-y voiced woman and her... whatever the hell the glove thingy was wasn't going to get the better of her.

"...get away with this..."

Then she let the blackness take over.

******

"C'mon Doyle. Tell me what your guys found?"

"Nothing."

Randi held in her annoyance, "Hey, I listened to you when you said lay off your sister Maggie. I'm not gonna take this to anyone but those who care about Kerry."

Terrence Doyle, older brother of Doctor Maggie Doyle shook his head. He and Randi had a long history, but she wasn't hear what he was actually saying. "No. Ran-. It's not that I'm not going to tell you anything, I'm saying there is Nothing. Nada. Zip. Yes, it looked, sounded, maybe even felt like a bomb, but it wasn't a shaped charge, or, there's just no actual proof that a bomb ever went off in that room."

"The walls are black TD."

Terrence shrugged, "Sorry, ah, and here comes Happy Howard."

Randi put a hand on Terrence's arm, "Stay with this one Terr-, please?"

"This Weaver broad means that much to you? Thought you were doin' the Lockhart woman?"

"Doctor Weaver means... yes, she's a friend, a good one."

Terrence shrugged again, "For you I'll try to stay on Howard's good side."

"Thank you."

Terrence put an arm around Randi and squeezed. "Staying on that woman's good side is like trying to catch a wet noodle with your fingers. You seriously owe me Fronczak."

******

Kim sat on the floor of the hospital's daycare and watched as Juliana arranged her blocks. Her phone vibrated and she answered it. "Legaspi."

Kim closed her eyes as she listened to Randi tell her that she had nothing. Once Randi finished Kim spoke, "I'll be back down soon, and... yeah, I'll be back." She looked up as Florina appeared in the doorway.

"Mrs. Lopez."

Juliana looked up, smiled and stood, "Nanna..."

Florina picked up Juliana with only a little bit of a wince, "Doctor Legaspi, do yo know what happened to Kerry?"

"No."

"You will find out."

"Yes."

"Doctor Legaspi."

"You weren't asking. I know. I will find out how... exactly how she died."

******

"Gah..." Kerry put a hand to her head, "That hurt."

"Close your eyes Doctor Weaver."

Kerry didn't, just stared at Cassie, "Where's Janet?"

"I need to see if you have a concussion."

"Cas..." Kerry shook her head and winced in pain, "I was thrown head first into a wall, I have a hard head, but still I'm pretty sure I have a concussion. What the hell was that? Where are we?"

Cassie sat back and stared at the bars that held them in. "It's complicated."

"Start with, what is the Lucent Alliance?"

"Lucian Alliance. They're a loose bunch of space pirates who prey on those they think won't fight back. Not to mention getting entire planets hooked on horrendous drugs. They're like a big drug cartel in space. But..." Cassie sighed, "This isn't them, this..." She paused again, "Her name is Nirrti, she killed my entire people."

Kerry frowned, "Definitely have a concussion. I heard you just say your people."

Cassie nodded, "I'm not from Earth. I wasn't adopted from Toronto. I was adopted after I was found on a planet called Hanka. I was surrounded by the dead bodies of my family and friends. Nirrti had been experimenting on us for generations, trying to make the perfect host."

"Host?"

Cassie put her head against the gold colored wall. "That's... Nirrti is two, people. Two organisms. The host is the human looking one you see. The second organism is this, snake like thing, a parasite that lives around the host's brainstem. The snake controls the body. Nirrti was trying to create a host for herself that was... more than human. I was the closest she ever got, at least, as far as I know."

Kerry was silent for a few moments. Shook her head and went to the heart of the matter since the rest didn't make much sense. "Whoever she is, whatever she is, will she kill Janet?"

Cassie sighed, "I don't know. But Janet's alive and she wasn't before. An no one, not even Sam can figure out why or how she's alive after being dead. Obviously Nirrti wants to know too." Cassie stood, "Enough exposition, we have to get outta here. Can you stand?"

Kerry slowly pushed herself up the wall and put her weight on the leg. The pain was immense, but she managed not to tumble back to the ground. "I can. You have a plan?"

"Nope. At least the bars aren't energy."

Kerry joined Cassie at the bars, "Energy? Like in Sci Fi?"

Cassie shrugged, "Sure. Hey, when I first got to Earth I also had a bomb in my chest that had created itself." She glanced out the bars one way, then the other, "I wonder if Nirrti has Jaffa or humanoid guards."

"I haven't seen any guards yet." Kerry closed her eyes and put a hand to her head as a wave of pain crested over her.

Cassie let her head bang against the bars, "God, I want a hot dog."

******

"Little early, wouldn't you say?"

Kim's phone vibrated on the counter and she watched as it made its way towards the edge. It never got there and Kim hit the voicemail button. "Christy. I'm not in the mood, I'm drunk and I really want to get much, much drunker before someone kicks me out of this... fine establishment."

Christy put a hand on Kim's chin and tilted the psychiatrist's head towards her, "You're not as smashed as you appear, you were always damn good at the fake drunk act in college. So which straight broke your heart this time, the one whose calls you're ignoring?"

The phone vibrated again and started its fall off the bar. Kim stared at it and didn't move to catch it. Christy did catch it before it hit the floor. She looked at the picture that went with the number that was ringing. "Cute. You always did go for cute over substance. Sorta surprised you're here of all places. C'mon, you gotta get right back on the horse, 'couple of hours and you can find a nice filly." Kim just stared straight ahead, it was as if she was on autopilot. "Kim. Kim?"

Kim threw back a shot and gestured for another one. She finally looked over at Christy, "You want one?"

Christy shrugged and slid onto the stool next to the blonde, "Sure. If nothing else than to get a smile on that face."

******

"Uh, excuse me."

Randi looked up and her eyes narrowed, "What do you want Mrs. Kingsley?"

The short redheaded older woman blinked in surprise and glanced behind her. "How... how do you know who I am?"

"Doctor Weaver showed me a picture. What can I do for you?"

Helen glanced around, "Is Kerry here?" Helen got even more confused as Randi's face went slack and a bit white. "Did I say something wrong?"

Randi came around the desk and led Helen into the Doctor's Lounge. "I know that you and she, that you weren't talking. 'Cause of the whole lesbian thing. A stupid reason not to talk if I ever heard one Mrs. Kingsley. Just my opinion. Anyway..." Randi paused and took a step back, "Doctor Weaver, Kerry, she died in some sort of explosion." Randi swallowed and cleared her throat, "I'm sorry to drop this on you and run, but, I'm still on. I figured you should know since you're her..." Randi grimaced, "You were her birth mother."

With that, Randi left the Doctor's Lounge and Helen sat down hard in one of the chairs at the main table. "De-dead. Oh...."

******

"She's dead."

Christy rolled over and propped her head up on her hand. She brushed back a lock of curly blonde hair from Kim's eyes. "Who?"

"Kerry. 'ts the reason I'm drunk... duh."

Christy's hand froze, "I'm... I'm sorry. What happened?"

Kim shook her head and squeezed her eyes closed, "They don't know. I mean, does it matter, does it fucking matter at all. Dead is dead. Dead like Trey, dead like Papa Fraiser. Dead is dead, the reason is just..." A bitter laugh bubbled from Kim, "Dead is just dead potpourri."

Christy pulled back a bit and looked at Kim in a light that she hadn't before. "You... Didn't she have a kid, with that EMT or whatever? Sandy something. I heard it through the grapevine." Christy shook her head, "I wasn't surprised she went back to men." Kim mumbled something, "What?"

"Sandy was a woman, and Kerry, she had, has, had..." Kim put a hand to her eyes, "Had, Kerry had two kids. Henry and Jules, Juliana."

"Oh. Kim, why did you..."

Whatever question that Christy was about to pose was cut off as Kim's phone rang. She stared at it for a brief second, then picked it up, answered the call and put it to her ear. She winced at the apparent volume it was set to, but didn't move to turn it down. She listened for a long minute, then nodded and sat up, letting the sheets pool around her waist. "Yes, I'll be right in." She hung up, "On the EL. God I'm an idiot." She still didn't look at Christy, "I'm sorry." She paused, "I have to go." She turned and met Christy's eyes, "I'm sorry Christy, I..."

Christy's eyes followed Kim as she collected her clothes and got redressed. Christy had no idea what was going through Kim's head, which she thought was unusual. She'd never seen Kim as drunk as she'd been at the no name bar, and she'd never seen Kim so morose, even over a woman. Kim was the Teflon lesbian. She took everything in stride, life was just life, relationships either went well or badly. Life was just life and it happened how it happened. All you could do was go with the flow. What was the point of getting angry or sad about something that just was.

At least, that was what Christy had thought Kim's mindset was. Christy tried to lighten the mood with humor, "Someone having a nervous breakdown?"

Kim picked up her phone with a shrug, "Something like that."

And then she just walked out of the bedroom and Christy's apartment. Christy stared at her wake with a perplexed look. Another bit of newness. Kim was a lot of things, but she rarely had sex and flew. It was what had gotten her in trouble with the straight girls, she didn't just let it be about sex. "That's why she's still friends with all of us."

Christy shook her head and climbed from her bed. She had a deposition to prepare for. About halfway to the bathroom she saw something sparkle in the rug. She picked it up and inspected it.

It was a cross on a simple chain, but it was a new one, not the one that Kim had worn since she was a child. Christy closed her fingers around it, "Huh."

******

"Hey, are you okay?" Helen looked up at Abby, "Ah, Mrs. Kingsley. Are you okay?"

Helen shook her head, "Did, did my... did Doctor Weaver tell everyone in the hospital who I was and what I said?"

Abby shook her head, "NO. Just her friends and family. I'm Abby. I take it that you heard she's no longer with us."

Helen nodded, "Can I see her?"

Abby sat down in the chair next to Helen's, "There's no body. It was, they think it was an explosion."

Helen looked up and met Abby's eyes, "You don't seem..."

"...I am. I just have more experience," she paused, "as a Doctor, giving bad news."

"Right."

A young woman with long dirty blonde hair tied back in a ponytail entered the Doctor's Lounge. "Ah, sorry. I was looking for Doctor Lockhart."

Abby nodded, "You found her."

The young woman glanced towards Helen and back to Abby, "Doctor Allison Cameron. I'm the new attending." She continued when Abby had no hint of what the name was supposed to mean to her, "Doctor Kerry Weaver and Ms. Doris Wolfe hired me?"

Abby stood, nodding, "Right. Sorry, I was just... thrown into being in charge... hell, was it only this morning?" She put a hand on Helen's shoulder, "I need to take care of Doctor Cameron, will you be okay?"

Helen nodded, "May I stay in here for another minute?"

Abby nodded, "Take as long as you need." She started towards the door "If you'll follow me Doctor Cameron, I'll introduce you to Randi, she's not in charge, but at the moment, she's practically running the place."

******

"Legaspi."

Randi looked up, "I've been calling her for hours and hours, she's not..."

Kim appeared. Randi frowned at her and then looked the blonde up and down. Kim spoke to the newcomer, "Colonel Carter."

"The Detective in Charge?"

"Detective Kay Howard."

Randi spoke up, still with a frown on her face, "Lieutenant Terrence Doyle of the Bomb Squad is also on it." She paused, "Doctor Legaspi."

Sam's face paled as she spoke over Randi, "Bomb squad? Why?"

Kim sat down at the admit desk, "Because an exam room full of... everything... now is all blackened and doesn' have anymore dust in it. Plus it sure as fuckin' hell sounded and felt like a bomb went off in there." The only reason her head stayed upright was that she was holding in one of her hands.

"Right." Sam glanced around, "And.. everyone was here?" Kim nodded, "Damn."

With jerky motions, as if she wasn't sure that she'd be able to keep her balance Kim pulled Sam away from the admit desk, not noticing the daggers Randi was shooting her. "Tell me they're alive."

Sam shook her head, "I can't do that, because I don't know."

"Then tell me it wasn' a bomb."

"Honestly Kim, I don't know what it was." Sam looked towards and went silent for a bit, finally she nodded, "I have to make a call."

Abby joined Kim as Sam left. "Kim... you should go home."

"I jus found her again Abbsy. Did I wait too long 'gain?"

Abby physically turned Kim away from the exam room. "You're not... go home Kim. Now. Let everyone else do their job, get some strong coffee and try not to choke on your own vomit."

Kim started to walk away, and Abby stumbled back a step as Randi came hurtling towards her and somehow managed to both get a punch into Kim's face and trip up the blonde.

Abby managed to catch Kim before she fell to the ground. After the blonde had her feet under her again Abby got between the psychiatrist and the clerk. "Whoa, whoa you two... what the hell."

Kim felt her nose as Randi seethed on the other side of Abby, "How could you. HOW COULD YOU, you're just a filthy whore. You're not even worth it. She was so much a better person, by ten times, by twenty times. Damn you, NOT even a day you cu..."

Abby clamped a hand over Randi's mouth, "Randi, we're in the middle of what is now my ER. Hon, what the hell's going on? She's just a little drunk, probably shouldn't have come in, but..."

Randi waited for Abby to remove her hand and then spoke in a slightly more controlled voice, though she was just as furious sounding, "Oh, Kim knows what I'm talking about. I won't..." Randi chuckled, "...screw her... over like that. I'm leaving." She finally looked at her girlfriend, "Fire me, whatever. I can't stay here anymore. Not in the same building with that." She stalked out. Leaving a still in pain Kim and a thoroughly confused Abby in her wake.

Abby faced Kim, "What is she talking about Kim?"

Doctor Cameron was still standing uncomfortably to the side, "I'll just..."

Abby pointed at her without looking her way, "Do not move Allison. Talk to me Kim."

"You're starting to sound like her." There was a wistful tone to the tall blonde's voice, but Abby wasn't going to be deterred. "Tell me Kim. Randi is the most easy going person we know. What did you do?"

"Kim."

Everyone looked up as Christy joined the little group, oblivious to the tension. She handed Kim the cross necklace. "Found it." Kim gave a quick nod. "I'll talk to you Kim." And she was gone.

Abby looked between Kim and the necklace and shook her head. "Ah hell. Kim, how could you." Abby put up a hand, stopping any response from Kim as well as her own, "No. I don't have time for this now. Just..." She shook her head. "Doctor Cameron, follow me and we'll finish the tour and get you some patients.

They left Kim alone, still holding the necklace in her hand. She stared down at it, just standing there. Eventually the ER went back to being its loud self, and she crossed over to the admit desk. It was a disapproving looking Frank standing there.

Kim looked around the ER and her eyes landed on the door to the Doctor's Lounge. "Doctor's Lounge. Wake me if you hear anything. Please Frank."

Frank frowned, but nodded. He seemed to think for a second, then spoke again, "If you put one of the things that pass as pillows under your back it helps make it more comfortable."

Kim nodded as she dodged through the bodies and entered the lounge. Frank shook his head as Dave stopped at the desk. "I'm off."

Frank shook his head, "You wish. No Doctor Weaver, which means more of the rest of you."

Dave sighed and watched the Doctor's Lounge door swing closed, "Why were you nice to her, from what I got, she slept with another woman like, hours after her... girlfriend I guess... died."

Frank got a look on his face that Dave didn't recognize, "Unlike you Doctor Malucci, most people aren't perfect. Sometimes we do the wrong things at the wrong times." He shook his head, "What do you want, a Nobel prize for getting back to work?"

Dave raised both his hands, "Hey, just askin'..."

******

"You know, Sam basically because a medic because of me. I told you the part about the bomb in my chest, at one point I went into cardiac arrest and she couldn't do anything, didn't know what to do. So she learned. She's a genius."

"In that case, she'll find us."

Cassie paused, then spoke again, "We both lost our Mom way before we should have. I know it doesn't say it anywhere, but she's just as much my mother as Janet is."

Kerry had no idea why Cassie was telling her all this, but she went with the conversation anyway. It kept the redhead focused, and not wondering what hellishly new and totally incomprehensible thing was going to pop out next. "Family that is found or made is just as valid as the family we're born into."

"You'll get back to yours Doctor Weaver."

Kerry put a hand on Cassie's shoulder, "So will you and Janet."

"Janet maybe..." Cassie shook her head, "But not me. I can feel it."

They both shot up as the room they were in shuddered to a halt. Kerry met Cassie's gaze. "I'm new at this whole, space thing, but did we just make a really crappy landing?"

"Or got shot at, or just stopped abruptly for some reason."

"All happy thoughts. I like mine better. So, what's nex..."

The same feeling she'd felt when she'd apparently been transported from the ER exam room came again. Halfway between the feeling that she had to sneeze and that her body was being ripped in about two hundred and sixteen pieces.

She tumbled into the ground with an oof. And what she had landed on did seem to be actual ground, with dirt and some sort of vegetation on it. She pushed herself up and wiped some mud off her face. A few yards away Cassie was helping Janet up off the ground and the crazy dark haired, whatever she was, Nirrti held what Kerry assumed was a gun of some sort on them. No one seemed to be paying attention to her. So she ran.

Kerry wasn't quite sure why she ran, although her brain kept yelling at her that the mud she'd had in her mouth couldn't have been from any other planet, it had sure tasted like the mud of her youth. All the planets, not to mention moons that were anywhere near Earth, Mars, Venus, Europa, didn't have mud or plants. She had to be on Earth, if only she could find help.

She ignored the pain her knee and dodged to the side as the air next to her sizzled with electricity. She saw what looked like stairs leading into the ground and went towards them. As she got to the top her left side suddenly felt like she'd stuck her finger in an electrical outlet. She tumbled down the stairs and came down hard on her shoulder, but somehow managed to beat back the blackness that threatened to overwhelm her.

Running was starting to look stupid as she stared up through the opening at the too blue sky. The crazy woman would find her. She really wished that she'd thought the plan to run all the way through, also, that she had found a hiding place with a door, or at least a curtain or something.

And then it was getting darker and darker. Kerry frowned, it didn't feel like she was passing out again. She looked up and realized that a mechanical door was closing over the hole, and after another second she could no longer see any of the blue sky at all.

"Ookayy... that was weird." It was pitch black, so black that she couldn't see her hands in front of her face. "Not dead. Don't know where I am, and apparently my concussion has made it so I can summon doors from nothingness." She pinched her forearm, "No, that would be a very bad writing convention. No goin' all Bobby Ewing." She sighed and closed her eyes, "And this day started so damn well."


	4. Chapter 4

Abby was surprised at how well she and Dave worked together. She'd mostly claimed the Acting ER Chief title because someone had to and she'd been at County, technically, longer. In reality there wasn't an Assistant Chief of the ER yet. Kerry had been deciding that when. Abby shook the thought out of her head.

Everyone working in the ER was subdued. Not everyone had liked Kerry, but there was a big leap for them between not liking their boss and wishing she was dead. They saw too many dead people of all walks of life to wish death on anyone or their family.

Abby looked at the board, everything seemed to be under control. They'd had a multi car crash come in, lost one, one was up in surgery losing his spleen most likely, and the rest would be several levels of alright. She straightened up. It was time to go all Weaver on Kim's ass.

She nearly slammed into Florina Lopez as they both got to the door to the Doctor's Lounge at the same time. "Ah, sorry Mrs. Lopez, what's wrong."

"Kimberly is inside?"

It was then that Abby's tired mind realized that the older was carrying Juliana and Henry was waiting quietly behind her. Even though part of her was pissed as hell at the tall blonde for sleeping with another woman before Kerry was even technically declared dead. Hell, the sun hadn't even gone down on Kerry's death. Still Abby knew that Henry and Juliana loved Kim as much as their mother did. "Ah, yes, is there..."

"Thank you."

She entered and Abby decided not to. Instead she looked up as Chaz hurried after a woman who looked familiar to Abby for some reason. "Ms. Torres, Ms..."

She whirled to face the med student, "One, it's doctor. Two..." She trailed off as she spotted someone at the other end of the hallway over Chaz's shoulder. "Erica."

As Abby got closer she saw Erica look up from the chart she was speaking to a Nurse about. The blonde surgeon blinked, "Callie."

Callie ignored Chaz, focused entirely on Erica. "Something's wrong with Arizona."

Erica stared at Callie for what seemed like forever. Handed the chart to the nurse and walked to Chaz and Callie. Abby joined them. "Pratt, may I have the chart."

Chaz handed it over. "Doctor Malucci signed off on it. She had a head injury, that's why she's still here, observation."

"She had a bit of bruising on her chest?"

Chaz nodded, "I got an X-Ray. It was clean."

"Get..."

Abby beat Erica to it as she handed Erica the chart, "A CT with contrast. And make sure she doesn't cough or throw up Chaz."

Chaz frowned, "Did I miss."

It was Callie who spoke, "Oh God, sometimes it doesn't show up on an X-Ray does it. The crash caused some sort of tear in her aorta."

Erica nodded and handed the chart back to Chaz. "She'll need..."

Callie interrupted her ex, "You."

"Callie, that..."

Callie crossed her arms over her chest, "What, you wouldn't want Arizona owing you?"

Erica stood there as the seconds ticked by. Finally she shook her head, "Fine. Get the CT to make sure. I'll book the OR."

Erica looked over both Chaz and Callie's shoulders and met Abby's eyes, "Kerry or no Kerry, this shouldn't have been missed."

"I know."

******

"Florina, what..."

Florina handed Juliana to Kim. "My sister in New York is hurt. I have to go now. Take them. Stay at Kerry's. Please."

Considering that Kim had been fast asleep only moments before she thought she was doing well following Florina. "But Florina I'm not..."

"Have to go, I'm sorry." And then she was gone.

Kim stared down at Juliana, who stared right back.

Henry blinked a few too many times and swallowed a couple of times before he could speak. "May we watch Toy Story 2?"

Kim was still mostly asleep so Henry's question seemed like quite a non sequitur. "Two? Why? I mean..."

"Jules' favorite. Makes her laugh. Is Mama D-E-A-D?"

Kim blew out a breath, "Yes bud. Hey, for now, how 'bout we go home. Your home, and watch Toy Story 2? Okay?"

Henry nodded, "Okay, my home?"

Kim realized what the smart lad had gleaned from her half asleep words. "Your, Jules and your Mom's home."

******

"Great, I'm stuck on some alien planet, or someplace random on Earth with two moons with broken who knows what and a door that seems to respond to my thoughts and what do I have running through my head. Something from Kim's crazy iPod playlist, Gabe freaking Dixon Band."

Kerry sighed and slowly sat up. Her shoulder didn't really feel too broken, but she was quite amazed that she had successfully run for any distance, because her knee cap definitely felt broken. "Must be a vertical break. Now, why couldn't I have fallen into a Star Trek planet with the cute redhead doc with a bone regenerator. Or maybe the one with the spotty lady who called the young guy old man." She sighed, "Um... lights, my mind really, really, really wants lights?"

She managed not to jump when where she was sitting abruptly lit. "Floor lights, recessed, a flair for decorating then. Not a government facility. Why am I talking to myself..."

She slowly stood with the help of the wall and carefully took a step forward, "Definitely a vertical break. Okay. Next, find a radio..." She glanced at the lights, "You wouldn't happen to have a handy dandy replicator somewhere in wherever here this is?"

When nothing happened she shook her head with a self deprecating smile, "Follow the lights it is. Ugh... I soo wasn't thinking when I ran."

******

Cassie rubbed at the back of her neck as she slowly sat up. She spotted her Mom coming around and joined her. They were in what looked like a lab. From the thickness of the door Cassie guessed it was a well secured lab. Janet groaned as she regained consciousness. "What the hell was Kerry thinking?"

Janet didn't move her head from Cassie's lap as Cassie answered, "What are those two crazy broads so worried about. I just landed on a farm on Earth. The Psycho's not paying attention to me. I'll go find a phone and call 9-1-1." Cassie sighed, "There are two problems with that. One, no 9-1-1 on an alien planet, which we're definitely on."

Janet kept her eyes closed, "But she could still find help from the native population."

"There is no native population, well, there is now that I'm here. That's the second problem Mom." Janet opened her eyes, "I do believe we're on Hanka."

"Oh."

******

Henry whispered to Kim, "Kim... why are you crying?"

Kim wiped her eyes and put and arm around Henry. Juliana was riveted to the screen where the female rodeo doll was having her montage. "What's your favorite movie Henry?"

"Nim's Island."

"Oh?"

Henry nodded, "Mama's a writer and even though I'm not her's, her's, she still loves me and will always, always..." Henry sniffled and laid his head against Kim's side.

Kim smoothed his hair and finished his thought, "will always be there for you. And, she will be. Now, your Mom is an author, since when?"

Henry slipped out from under Kim's arm and spoke as he was nearly out of the room, "Show you."

A minute later he was back with a singular book, "Mama won't let me read them." He frowned, "Even though Mama lets me read whatever I want. It's a con... conun..."

"Conundrum." Kim opened the book and read the first few lines. "Ah, I think your Mom's right. We should probably watch the movie. I think we're getting to the good part."

Henry crawled back under Kim's arm and tried to sneak a look at the inside of the book, but Kim was too fast and closed it.

Henry looked at the TV, "They're all good parts Kim."

******

"Erica? Your hands are shaking." Doris grabbed said hands. "Is this about Ker..."

"No. Kiss me. Truthfully sex would be better, but we don't have time for that at the moment. Kiss me."

"I... we talked about..."

Erica shook her head, "Look, I have to go in there and put my hands on Arizona Robbins heart and fix it. And all that's running through my head is 'she's sleeping with Callie', over and over and over. I'm over Callie, I thought I was over Callie, no, I'm over Callie. Look Doris, I can't make even the slightest mistake on this. Kiss me damnit."

Doris moved closer and their lips met in an uncomfortable way, but after a second she felt Erica's hand on the back of her head and she was lost in the accretion disk of Erica Hahn. The thought that flitted through her head was that she needed to watch much less Discovery Channel and have more sex with Erica.

Doris pulled back abruptly and looked down at Erica's hands. They were rock steady. "Good to know I have a chilling way about me."

Doris looked up as she felt Erica's hand on her cheek, "Trust me Doris Wolfe. Only on the nerves in my arms."

Doris sighed as Erica's hand dropped, "Yes, well, at least you get to go perform surgery. Release some of your pent up energy. I get to sit here and do my pile of paperwork after that kiss."

Erica gave Doris a half sympathetic look and was gone. Doris sighed, "And she wonders why we broke up."

******

"It was my fault. I didn't..." Dave shook his head, "Weaver would have killed me. Med Student 101, sometimes an X-Ray isn't good enough."

"You're right, she would have, but she's not here, we are, and we're working without a whole exam room and we were slammed. She's still alive, Hahn's going to repair it."

"Have you talked to Chaz?" Abby shook her head from side to side, "Good. I will."

Dave started towards the lounge, but Abby stopped him, "Dave... don't Weaver him too hard."

Dave gave a non-committal shrug and Abby sighed. Randi put an arm around Abby. "You okay?"

"You're back?" Randi nodded, "Still angry at Kim?" Randi nodded again. Abby paused, "And no, I'm not okay, but I'll live. Is that your Detective?"

"Doyle."

Terrence Doyle stopped at the admit desk in front of the two women. "Fronczak. Doctor Lockhart. Do you want the bad news or the worse news?"

"Bad first."

Terrence nodded, "No one has any clue what the hell killed and apparently disintegrated everything in that room."

Abby closed her eyes for a moment, "So, they know for sure that the three of them are dead?"

"I didn't say that. I mean, what else could they be but dead. The thing is, though, that they went over that room with a fine tooth ALS, not to mention cadaver dogs who can sus out blood or a dead person like nobody's business. There doesn't seem to be any trace of, well, anything in there, including any proof they were ever in that room."

Randi frowned, "The worse news?"

Terrence winced, "Detective Howard. Kay, is right at this moment visiting a psychic." Terrence turned to Abby. "You're sure about this woman. This Doctor Legaspi. She wouldn't make up seeing the two of them, three of them. Doctor Fraisers in the room and Doctor Weaver entering?"

"Not on your life."

Terrence sighed, "Well, for right now, they're listed as missing, not dead. What a puzzle. Damn I hate puzzles."

******

Kerry had found a chair. She stared at it. There was what looked like Latin written on it. "Latin... well, Latin by drunk Romans who can't spell or conjugate right." She stared at it for another second before she sagged into it with a sigh. If she'd had enough energy she'd have jumped when it seemed to come to life under her.

Instead, she spoke to it. "You wouldn't be able to fix my knee would you mister chair? Yep, definitely have a concussion, talking to a chair."

Needless to say, it didn't answer. "Can I see my friends? Though, I guess if I got up the cojones to ask Kim to spend the rest of her life with me they'd sorta be fami... Oh."

A semi transparent screen came up showing Cassie, whose head was in some sort of contraption, screaming in pain. While nearby a now bound Janet Fraiser was trying to go to her daughter. Nirrti just seemed to have a permanent smirk on her face.

Kerry made a face at the screen. "Wish I could just think that damn... whatever the hell she is... dead."

"You could, but Hanka ran out of drones long before even Nirrti showed up."

Kerry thought it and the chair whirled around, nearly throwing her from it. "Ah, shit."


	5. Chapter 5

"Is that Max's Silver Knife?"

Kim stood in front of Kerry's stereo. "One of Kerry's favorite songs."

Kevin did a double take. "Whoa. Kerry's got a dark side."

Kim turned, "The first part of her life was made into a hell by stupid little minds of her age group." Kim smiled sadly as the final verse started, "She said that her father loved the song too. Hopefully they're... they're..."

Kevin engulfed his sister in a crushing hug. "What can I do?"

Kim shook her head and didn't move out of her brother's embrace. "Nothing."

"Mom could call some of the old Detectives she patched up when she was a nurse. One of their sons is probably on the case."

Kim shook her head, "Randi knows Terrence Doyle from the bomb squad, and it's some tightwad woman Detective who's the other person on the case. They have no clue how three people and a crap load of equipment not to mention every other speck of matter that wasn't paint on a wall disappeared, or was blown up, or whatever. How can you have no clue how three people die?"

Kevin led Kim to the living room. "How's Henry doing?"

Kim shook her head as she collapsed onto the couch. "He's a high strung kid anyway, he's about to snap. He's worrying about Jules and... I can't. I'm not made for this... I... I did something stupid this afternoon too."

"Hey look at me little sis." Kim didn't move. "C'mon." She looked at him, "You remember me the day Mary was born? I was a wreck, I didn't know what to do with the crying, pooping thing. Now she's twelve, still alive and I hope not too screwed up. No one's made for parenting until they're parents."

Both siblings looked up as there was a knock on the door. Kevin frowned, "You expecting anyone?" Kim shook her head. "Do you want me to get whoever it is to go away?" Kim nodded again and Kevin stood and went to the door. He opened it. in front of him stood a tall, short-haired blonde haired woman. "Can I help you?"

"Kim. I need to speak to her."

"Look, she's..."

Kim appeared by Kevin shoulder and put a hand on it. "It's okay. What do you want Colonel?"

"Your help."

"I have no idea where she..."

Sam glanced over at Kevin. "Not that. Will you come with me?"

"Colonel. Sam."

Kevin finally spoke up, "I can watch Henry and Jules if you need me to Kim."

Kim looked between the hall that led to the two kids' bedrooms and the woman at the door. "I'm supposed to trust you?"

Sam nodded, "And I'll trust you." Sam paused, "If it helps, it took a little bit when we first met, but Janet has trusted me with her life on more than one occasion."

Kim stood there for another moment before she nodded and picked up her coat. "Kevin, you'll tell Henry and Jules I'll be back." Kevin nodded as Kim turned back to Sam, "I will be back right?"

Sam nodded just a bit too quickly, "Of course."

Kevin gave Kim another hug and watched her follow Sam down the steps.

******

"I guess my head injury was worse than I thought."

"I am not in your head oh daughter of mine."

Kerry looked up and stared at the Henry Weaver she saw in her head whenever she thought about the good times, before high school, before college, before he and Kerry's mother had died. Henry Guillermo Lopez Weaver's namesake.

He was just under six feet, with a skinny runner's build, although when she was a kid, his arms had felt like shields against the world. His hair had already been graying and whitening when he and Catherine had adopted Kerry, though in his close cropped van dyke goatee he still had some brown.

"Twice today I've hit my head. You're not real."

He tilted his head to one side, then the other. "What's real. Was Phoenix real?"

Kerry closed her eyes and sat back in the chair. "I was three Dad and not one damn kid would talk to me. So I had an imaginary bird friend. What do you want from me?"

Henry took a step backwards and folded his hands in front of him. "I want nothing now. I wish nothing. I just am, and it's... relaxing, amazing, it's... otherworldly."

"What the hell are you, why are you here? What is my brain trying to tell me."

Henry smiled and tears came to Kerry's eyes, though she didn't shed them. She'd dreamed of being able to see her father's smile one more time for years. "You're here to get me to stop feeling sorry for myself, figure out where here is and do... something."

"The chair's a good start."

Kerry looked down and then quickly back up. Her father was still there. She shook her head and slowly got off it. It moved back to a non-reclined position and all the lights went out. "Right, have to be sitting in it."

Before she sat down she stepped up to the long console that lined the wall. "Okay, think radio, thinking radio tower, tv tower." She looked over at her father, "Does God think DTV was a good idea?"

"Haven't met God."

This made Kerry pause her searching and stared over at her father. "Why would my mind think that you hadn't met God."

Henry strolled from hs place in the corner to a spot right next to Kerry. "Because I'm not in your head kiddo."

Kerry looked her father up and down, "Then what the hell are you?"

Another screen popped up in front of Kerry and she nearly jumped out of her body.

******

"Bag, bag..." Sam winced as Kim, again, threw up. She handed the woman a water when she was done and handed the now partially filled bag to an Airman.

"Hmm, I guess you're not as perfect as Cassie and Janet seem to think. You do realize that it's all in your head. That the ship's inertial dampeners are so good that even I can barely tell it's moving."

Kim shrugged, "Why am I here?"

"Because I need two things. One professional, one personal. First, where would Nirrti go."

"Nirrti?"

"She's a megalomaniac who wants to create, well a super being, then use the super human as a host for herself." Sam paused, "Two, how would Kerry try to contact you?"

"In space?"

"Subtly, most likely it would come through a long range radio, if she could find a radio and it did the rest."

"She's alive?"

Sam nodded slowly, "Kim."

Kim held a hand up while her other was against her chest. After a few moments she spoke again, "You must have many psychologists, psychiatrists. I don't know anything about..." Kim glanced around the conference room. "Any of this. Space travel is the shuttle, or the Hubble or maybe going to the moon again one day if they don't screw over NASA too bad because of all these wars and the recession."

Sam sat back, silent and waited. When Kim trailed off the Air Force Officer spoke, "Are you done?" Kim nodded affirmatively. "First of all, I've gone to every one of the psychologists associated with our program. I don't like any of them. Second, I've been doing this for fifteen years. I need the brain of someone who has never seen any of this, because Kerry's never seen any of it either."

"Why..." Kim shook her head, "Why do think that she will be able to... do anything?"

"Because, Nirrti, the woman who took them, she wouldn't pay attention to Kerry. Not at first, she wants to... learn." Sam paused for a second before she could continue, "...learn about them, disect them, and make a better host for the real her, the parasite. Add to that the fact that in Janet's descriptions of Kerry, she seems like a scrapper."

"Oh..." Kim's face went white and Sam handed her another barf bag.

******

Abby stood in front of the door, her hand on nit. A voice came from behind her. "Thought I'd find you here. So, are you going to go in, or try to participate via telepathy?"

"Better here than at Ike's doing this."

Janet Coburn put an arm around Abby and pushed the door open. She led Abby to a couple of seats in the back and sat down, "Where's Joe?"

"With Maggie."

"And you told her where you were going?" Abby nodded, "Okay." She focused on the speaker at the front of the room and after a moment Abby also gave her attention to the young man sharing his story.

******

"Uh, I'm looking for a Doctor Erica Hahn."

Callie looked up and over as the clerk at the Surgical Admit desk spoke,

"She's in surgery at the moment, I..."

Callie stood and turned, "Colonel Robbins, sir?"

Colonel Daniel Robbins turned from the desk and walked over to the tired looking woman. "You're Calliope, please call me Dan, or Daniel."

"Callie." Callie ran a hand through her hair, "Uh, do you, do you know what happened? Did anyone explain it when they called you?"

Daniel smiled and guided Callie to a seat, "I am not an idiot, though I'm not a doctor."

Callie nodded, "We were in a car accident, she hit the steering wheel and her... aorta was partially torn. Uh, but they caught it and Erica... Doctor Hahn is in there fixing it."

Daniel nodded, all seriousness, "I she good?"

"One of the best cardio surgeons I know, yes."

"You know, you should really update your emergency contacts."

Callie frowned, "Yes, how did you get here so fast?"

"Ah, I wondered if you'd pick up on that. I had a meeting at Naval Station Great Lakes. They called me from here, I came."

Callie looked down, she had take a hold of one of Daniel's hands. She let it go. "Ah... sorry. But, would you stay with me?"

Daniel took a hold of Callie's hand again, "Of course Calliope."

Callie closed her eyes, "That's how she says it."

"When she's annoyed with you?"

A half sob, half laugh escaped from Callie's mouth, "No, when she's happy with me, or herself, or the world."

Daniel smiled, "That's my Arizona."

******

"Ahhh..." Kerry let her hands thump onto the lit up display. "If I still had my crutch at least I'd be able to throw it through you."

Kerry father's chuckled, "That crutch... you and that crutch." He shook his head, "You never let anyone see past it."

Kerry whirled, "That's... All I ever wanted was to have someone look into mye eyes like you and Mom did. No judgment, no hesitation, just unconditional love."

"Kim did."

Kerry nodded, "So did Sandy and Courtney. Sandy never let me get away with using it as an excuse either. But she was the hero, not me, she died saving people. I can't. I want to see Henry graduate, Juliana get married."

"I don't know..." Somehow the elder Henry's nearly gray colored eyes twinkled, "That was pretty heroic when yo jumped in the middle of the football brawl. Or when you pried apart the industrial machine with your bare hands, or..."

Kerry held a hand up and closed her eyes, "The chair. You want me in the chair." She turned and stared at it, "Maybe since the first time made you appear, the second will make you disappear."

Henry crossed his arms over his chest and frowned when Kerry choked back a sob. "What?" Kerry shook her head and wiped at her eyes.

"I should have asked her to move in, to be... my... my..."

"Wife." Henry took a step towards Kerry. "I can tell it's weighing on you. If somehow I'm not a figment of your overstressed concussed brain, am I okay with your life."

Kerry sat down in the chair, "I should look around the planet." She concentrated, though it didn't take much. "In the cities. Maybe there's some way for me to tell where in the universe I am."

"Kerry. Your Mom and I, we would have been surprised, but we would never stop loving you. We wouldn't have been like Helen, you probably don't remember, you were too little. But when we were over in Africa, we were there to spread the word, but our eyes were opened to their beliefs more than they to ours. We would have opened our arms to any woman you brought home. Well.. after I grilled her. Sandy, she was a firecracker, and this Kim... she's a unique one." Henry seemed at a loss for words, "We will always love you."

Kerry finally looked away from the transparent screen that was showing pictures of a city. "I know."

"Might want to look at your screen. You never know when something will be useful."

She did and saw a sign with the English words on it. "Stop." She looked up again, but her father was gone, if he'd ever been there in the first place. She read the sign, "Project 169. Douglas McLean Memorial Observatory. John Smith Commanding. P8X-987. Hanka."

She jerked her head as the screen changed and a map of the universe appeared. "Still in the Milky Way. That's good. You wouldn't happen to be able to find Earth... ah..."

Kerry's eyes traveled along the line. "Not too far, but you probably don't have sensors... oh, look, it's the Enterprise. Sort of. The D was so much better looking than E. Though DS9 and Voyager had better looking women. So. Maybe I can send a message or something to them, through forwarders or some other magic seeming thing. But what to send."

The picture in front of her changed back to the sign. "Hmm... 987... 9 8 7."

After a moment she shook her head and the screen changed again. This time what looked like music and lyrics started appearing on the screen. "Hope someone the ship's human, not a buncha Vulcans or Betazoids or something."

Kerry sent off the short burst of a message, sat back in the chair and closed her eyes. A second later alarms started going off. She sighed, got up and looked around.

******

"Callie..." Erica paused taking in the newcomer.

Daniel held out his hand, "Daniel Robbins, Arizona's father."

Erica nodded as she shook Daniel's hand, "Of course, the surgery went find and she's in recovery. Only one at a time for now."

Callie gestured, "Daniel, you should go first."

"Doctor Torres, I'm not the one she'll want to see first."

"I... I need to speak to Erica for a moment."

Shirley approached the two women as Daniel went towards the nurses station to find out his daughter's room number. "Erica, did Doris find you?"

"She's looking for me?"

Shirley nodded as she reached behind the surgical admit desk for a stack of papers. "That's what she said, ah,l and I need..."

"...expenditures by the end of the day."

"My end of the day, not yours Doc."

Erica smiled as she turned back to a slightly stunned Callie. "What. You think I should be shunned by my co-workers here too? Would that make you feel better?"

"No, Erica, you're the Chief... or, you're what he used to be now, with the Mercy West merger." Callie shook her head, "That's not why I wanted to..."

"It's my job Callie."

"but there are other Cardio Surgeons here, who could have done it, but I asked, and you had to have cleared your schedule to do it. Please, just let me say thank you."

Erica signed a chart and put it down. "You're welcome."

"That's it?"

Erica shook her head, "She's a patient, I'm a doctor, she had a problem, I fixed it."

Shirley popped in again, "The ER..." Erica frowned and patted at her pockets and Shirley tossed the blonde her lost pager.

Erica put in on the waist of her scrubs, "I have to go, but..." She paused, "You should join her father."

"The rules."

"I'm the Chief." Erica put a hand on Callie's shoulder. "You should be there when she wakes too."

******

"I... I..."

Abby put a hand on Chaz's back, "I want you to see Doc Surrell upstairs before you leave."

"Psych?" Abby nodded and Chaz frowned, "I... Doctor Legaspi isn't here?"

"No. But Chaz, this isn't a request. Surrell, now, or before you leave."

Chaz stared at Abby for a long time before he took off his lab coat. "Yeah, okay. Look, I'm sorry, twice in... is the blonde, the doc from out of tow, is she alright?"

"She is. Doctor Hahn got in and fixed the problem. Is everything alright with you Chaz?"

Chaz put a hand to his forehead, "Sometimes every thing's flying around in my head so fast and..."

"You miss things."

Both Chaz and Abby looked up. Dave was in the doorway. "Aren't you off Abby?"

"I am, we were just having a chat."

Dave gestured towards the door, "I'll walk up with you to Surrell's office Chaz. Just give me a sec."

Chaz glanced between the two attendings, nodded, and left the Doctor's Lounge. Dave spoke first, "It was my responsibility too Abby. The Chief hadn't picked an Assistant Chief yet, so, I'll talk to him, and we'll teach him to be better. All of 'em."

Abby nodded as Dave left. She held her head in her hands, but looked up when she heard her name. "Mom..."

Joe nearly jumped into Abby's arms. Maggie followed her grandson into the lounge. "Thought he might buoy you a bit."

Abby hugged him close to her. "Thank you."

"Are you... okay Abby?"

Joe wriggled a bit and Abby let him go. "Still on the wagon if that's what you mean."

"Did you call Luka?"

Joe looked up, "Dad?"

Abby ruffled Joe's hair, "They couldn't find him, but he'll call us back. 'kay?"

Joe nodded and looked at his grandmother. "Can I have a sundae now?"

Abby chuckled as Maggie blushed a bit. "Uh, yes, I just need to talk to your mother for a moment."

Joe paused, then shrugged, "I'll play."

Maggie sat down and took her daughter's hands in her own, "Are you okay Abigail?"

"Not really. But I'll survive, we're short handed. Not just Kerry was... but Cassie too. Do you mind?"

"Spoiling my grandchild? Nope. But you're going to have to give him sugar detox when I get done with him."

Abby took a breath and held it for a moment, "Thank you."

"Abby, you're letting me be a part of Joe's life. That's all I need."

"Just, if it's too much, tell me, alright?"

"And if you even get..."

Abby nodded, "Coburn's number three on my speed dial. Right after you and Randi."

A twinkle that Abby remembered from points here and there in her childhood came to Maggie's eyes, "So, am I your one or two?"

Abby let out a rush of breath. Maggie sat down next to her daughter as Abby let the hold she had on her sadness go. When he heard his Mom crying he hurried over. "Mom?"

Maggie spoke, "Your Mom's friend is missing. Think you can help me?"

Joe looked worried, "Help?"

"Hug 'er with all the love you have."

Joe nodded and hugged Abby from the other side, "Love you Mom." This seemed to make Abby cry harder, barely able to take a breath.


	6. Chapter 6

"What the hell."

Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Marks hit the internal Comm, "Bridge to Colonel Carter."

There was a second pause before Sam's voice came through the intercom, "What is it Colonel?"

"You said watch for weird. We have some definite weird."

"We're on our way."

From the Helm a somewhat blond, and definitely young officer spoke, "Think she's single?"

Marks shook his head, "Don't go their Lieutenant."

Sam appeared with Kim not far behind her. Marks stood from the command chair as Sam sat down. "What do you have Colonel?"

"Lieutenant, put the message on speaker."

From the speakers came a computerized voice and what sounded like a synthesizer. It was a bouncy tune.

"1, 2, 3 and 4 more makes 7

And 6 is afraid of 7...cause 7 ate 9!

Nine was minding his business

Talking to 10 about Gordie Howe's clothes

Why 7 ate 9? Nobody knows.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10

What about 9?

Seven ate nine!

Oh the cat'll have to live with eight lives now

Ronaldo will have to make do

Ever since seven ate 9 it seems

I've got an extra finger and an extra toe too

Seven ate nine!

Once upon a time in our solar system

We couldn't make do without 9

But Pluto's not a planet now, so eight'll do fine.

Oh the cat'll have to live with 8 lives now

And the Chinese will be out of luck

And the vampires will have to think of some other method

Cause without their K-9's, how will they suck?

Seven ate nine!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10

What about nine?

Seven ate nine!"

Sam looked at Kim as the song faded from their ears. "What does it mean?"

Kim shook her head, "I don't know. It's the Barenaked Ladies, a kids song by them."

Sam paused, "Did it come from her?"

"She hates the song, but her son, Henry, cracks up so hard every time he plays it. Not sure if that's because he knows it drives her crazy or just 'cause he thinks it's funny. Would Janet or Cassie know it?"

"Definitely not Janet. Maybe Cassie. Any ideas what it means?"

Kim frowned, "It was only that one song, no other parts to the message, a helpful hint before the song, or a postscript after it?"

Marks responded, "That was it."

Sam spoke to the blond man at the Helm, "Lieutenant, find me where it came from, planet, star system."

"Yes, ma'am."

Sam spoke to the rest of the bridge crew, "I'll take any ideas. What does it mean?"

It was actually Kim who spoke up after nearly two minutes of silence, "It's the numbers, I think. I mean, the song is about seven eating nine right. And I doubt that the message has to do with naked ladies."

The blond lieutenant turned his head, "Huh?"

Marks shook his head at the Helmsman, "Barenaked Ladies. The band that performs the song. The numbers, 7, 8, 9, or 1 through 10?"

"The song's title is 7 8 9."

Sam's head came up, "Lieutenant, set a course for Hanka. They went to Hanka. Why didn't I think of that before."

"Ma'am, Hanka?" This was from the newbie Lieutenant.

Sam stood, "Hanka, it's a planet that we first visited through the Stargate."

"Stargate?"

Sam ignored Kim's question, "P8X-987. Hanka."

The Lieutenant nodded, "Have the coordinates ma'am."

"Send a message to the SGC, then take us to hyperdrive."

The Lieutenant nodded, "It'll take us..."

Sam cut him off, "Two hours or so to get there. I know Lieutenant, I built the hyperdrive myself. And hopefully we'll just be there to perform mop up duty and they'll have gotten a team through the Stargate before then."

Kim could barely keep up, "You know where she is?"

Sam glanced over at the civilian, "If you're right about her message. That it's in the numbers, yes."

Kim nodded, "I'm right. I think."

Sam put a hand on Kim's shoulder, "Then yes. I know where they all are. You should get something to eat."

Kim's face went pale, "Uh, don't say eat."

Sam winced as Kim took a few steps and lost her cookies behind an empty station.

******

"Miss Fronczak?"

Randi looked up and around, "Uh, yes?"

"It's Henry Miss Fronczak."

Randi came around the desk and knelt down in front of the child. "Hey kiddo, did you get here by yourself?"

Henry nodded and Randi held out her hand, "Are you gonna take me back to the Legaspi's?"

Randi frowned, "Kim? How did you get to Kim's?"

Henry shook his head, "No, Mr. and Mrs. Legaspi." He paused, "Kim's brother."

Randi paused, that made even less sense than him having been with Kim. "I... No, not yet, but I'll need to call them. Florina and Guillermo aren't taking care of you?"

Henry took Randi's hand and they walked to the Doctor's lounge, "Grandma's sister is sick. They're not here."

"Number young man."

Henry gave Randi the number and she dialed, "Hi, is this Kevin Legaspi. Randi Fronczak from County." Randi paused, "Yes. He's here, and fine, no, no, I'm nearly off. I can drop him on my way home. No, it's okay..." She looked over at Henry. "Really, he's no trouble. Yes, we'll be in the Doctor's lounge. Yep, see you soon."

Randi hung up, "Okay Henry. Why'd you sneak away? It's not like you."

Henry shrugged, "Who cares."

Randi sat down next to him on the couch, "Bud, you know that a lot of people care."

Henry sniffled, "Before I had too many Mom's. Mama and Mama Sandy the Mama who had me, and Courtney, and... I thought, maybe sometime maybe..."

"...Kim..." There was darkness in Randi's voice, but not at the boy, but at the blonde psychiatrist, but Henry didn't seem to notice.

Henry just nodded slowly, "Now there's no one."

"Do you think I'm cool Henry my man?"

Henry shrugged, "I guess."

"Well, when I was five, just a little younger than you, my Mom and Dad died too."

A frown creased Henry's face, "Did you have an Uncle or Nanna?"

"I didn't Bud. But even without someone like Carlos, or Abby , or your grandparents to take me in I survived."

"Do you still miss them Miss Fronczak?"

Randi looked away from Henry and out the Doctor's lounge's one small window that looked into the ambulance bay. "Every day at least once."

Henry bit the inside of his lip, "Jules won't remember Mama..."

Randi pulled Henry closer, "It's your job to tell her all you remember. Think you can do that?"

Henry didn't move for a minute, then nodded, "Can I talk to you again?"

Randi looked both ways, even though the room was empty. "Can you keep a secret bud?" Henry nodded, "I never had a real mom, just foster moms until I was eighteen. Do you know what a foster mom is?"

Henry nodded, all seriousness. "I looked it up when another boy said Mama wasn't even my foster mom, and that made her bad or something."

Randi's eyes narrowed, but she got control of herself before she spoke again, "Well, I sorta think of your Mom as a Mom figure in my life too."

Henry scrunched his face in thought, "But you're the same age."

"Ouch little bud, I tell ya ouch, don't tell anyone out there that you can do math, and... I am almost a half a decade younger for your information pipsqueak." Henry smiled as Randi ruffled his hair, "Not to mention, have ya... met... your Mom?"

Henry laughed out loud, and then he got a look of horror on his face and his eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Randi rubbed circles on Henry's back, "It's okay Henry. It's okay. Your Mom would want you and your sis to laugh. You can be sad and laugh at the same time too."

There was a knock on the lounge door and Kevin stuck his head in the door, "Henry. God, you h ad us all scared."

Randi stood, "But he knew where to come. You ready to go?"

Henry nodded, "But first." He pulled at Randi until she kneeled at his level. Then he wrapped his arms around her in a hug and whispered in her ear. "Bye sis."

Randi suddenly had the urge to blink, a lot, as Henry took Kevin's hand and they left the lounge. She wiped at her eyes and swallowed as her phone rang with a new text message. She cleared her throat and looked down at it.

'Are you coming home?'

Randi just looked at it for a long time, then she typed in a three letter response and put the phone away. She sighed and turned, looking out the window into the ambulance bay. It was dark. "Thank God this day is finally over."


	7. Chapter 7

"Where were you?"

Kerry put a hand to Janet's forehead, "You're burning up Janey."

"I know. It'll pass, where were you?"

Kerry sat back and regarded her friend from Med School. "I have no idea where we are, you expect me to know where I was? I'm still not sure that I'm not just having a tremendous and complete mental breakdown. What did she do to you?"

Janet shrugged and put her hand to her head, "Yanked around my DNA a bit, poked and prodded me to see if she could figure out how I'm alive when I shouldn't be."

Kerry closed her eyes and tried to forget the pain in her knee and shoulder, "Will Cassie be okay?"

Janet shook her head, "I don't know. Did you... did you do anything, wherever you were?"

Kerry groaned, "I think I hallucinated my father. Except he kept claiming that he wasn't a hallucination, and he helped me out a bit, I think..." Kerry shook her head, "Weirdest concussion I've ever had I have to say that."

Janet paused, then dove in, "Maybe it wasn't a hallucination. We've met a race of beings, at one point they were humanoids, nearly human even. They... ascended to a higher plane. There are also a few of them who help us, humans, Jaffa, those who wish to, also ascend to a higher plane."

Kerry finally looked at Janet. "So, you're saying my father's a... higher beings? That makes my head hurt." She paused, "Is that what happened to you Janey?"

Janet was silent for a long time, either figuring out her answer or whether or not to tell Kerry anything. "For the most part when formerly human ascended being decides to come back to Earth, or is sent back, they're put back without their memories, usually any of them. I... I don't think I ascended, and judging by the grumbling in Goa'uld Nirrti was doing, she doesn't think I did either."

"They have a language?"

Janet stood carefully with a look of pain on her face and held a hand to Kerry. Kerry carefully stood too and limped her way behind Janet to one of the walls. "Before, I wasn't sure, but no I am. We're in some sort of base of the Four Races."

"Janet, why are you telling me all this." Kerry continued, mostly under her breath, "Especially when I only understand one idea in ten you're saying."

Janet put an arm around Kerry's shoulder, mostly to keep herself from falling. Of the two, Kerry was slightly more steady at that moment. "Most so I stay conscious."

Kerry put an arm around Janet as well. "Four Races then. They have names? Or should I make up some for them. The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria and Bob."

Janet smiled, "The Asgard, the Furlings, the Nox and the Ancients, they called themselves the Alterans. Supposedly we... humans from Earth are the legendary Fifth Race, whatever the hell that means."

"Ah..."

Janet smiled again, just a bit, "I skipped over the part about what they are. The Four Races."

Kerry inclined her head, "You did. For all I know they could be a boy band."

"They're like... well, they were like this part of the Universe's UN. For while they even had a deal with the Goa'uld to protect certain planets, including Earth, from Goa'uld attack for awhile. But, I guess, from what I've learned from a perusal of the pertinent files, we defeated the Goa'uld pretty handily with the help of the Tok'ra and Jaff..."

Kerry cut Janet off, "Wait, Stop. I... Jaffa are the guards, foot soldiers? With the baby snakes in their guts."

"Basically, yes."

"Who are the Toke Ra?"

"Tok'ra. Doesn't every war have people from the bigger, badder, warlord-y side who form a resistance inside their own people?"

Kerry frowned, "So they're Goa'uld who fight against their brothers."

"To simplify them, sure."

Janet was silent for just a bit too long and Kerry spoke up, "Cassie will be okay. It sounds like these snake guys want to, uh... infest her... not hurt her."

Janet sighed and leaned her head against the wall. Kerry put her hand on it and they both nearly jumped out of their skin when it lit up. Kerry caught Janet with an oof since she caught her with her bad side, the side she'd landed on in her tumble down the hole.

They both back up and the wall stayed on. Kerry glanced over at Janet and back to the wall, "Why.. how... it's like the chair."

Janet's attention switched from the wall to only Kerry, "Chair? A chair that lit up?" Kerry nodded, "This is when you saw your father?"

"Yes."

Janet shook her head, "Can you help me down to the floor. I think I'm about to pass out."

Kerry somehow managed to get both of them to the ground without either breaking anything and the wall went dark as suddenly as it had come on. "Now what?"

Just as suddenly the door opened behind them and Cassie flew in, crashing to the floor with a thump. Nirrti entered the cell and dragged Janet back out with her. Kerry tried to fight the dark haired woman, but Nirrti was at full strength and Kerry was definitely not.

Kerry sagged to the ground as the door of their prison closed again. She looked up at the dark wall, "but maybe it didn't used to be a prison cell."

She heard a groan and carefully scooted over to Cassie, "Hey... still alive."

Cassie had a look of horrible pain on her face and was pointing at her right shoulder. Kerry frowned, "Is it dislocated?" Cassie nodded, "Did it come out forward or backward?"

Cassie shook her head and spoke through gritted teeth, "Don't know."

Kerry carefully inspected the shoulder with her eyes and fingers, and then without any preamble pushed Cassie's arm back towards her into its socket.

An 'ahhh' exploded from Cassie and she closed her eyes, "Thank you."

Kerry sat back and looked around the room, "Nothing around you and Janet seems to make any sense, but medicine, that is the same everywhere it seems."

Cassie spoke up, "Actually..."

Kerry cut off her Resident, "Just... I don't want to know anymore. Everything you tell me just... For just a second here I'm going to pretend that I'm stuck in some human crazy person's basement on Earth. No light up walls, or... or any of it."

Cassie tilted her head, "I wonder why..."

"Doctor Fraiser."

Cassie's jaw clicked shut, "Right. Thoughts to self. Aye Chief."

******

Molly Legaspi rested her chin on her husband's shoulder. She was nearly as tall as he, though she wasn't as broad in the shoulders. She had curly dirty blonde hair that was slightly heavier on the brown than blonde and hazel colored eyes that seemed to some days be blue and others be green. And when she was truly angry they seemed to go gunmetal gray.

"What's he doing?"

Kevin shook his head, "I have no earthly idea hon. It looked sorta like math, but I don't think it's real math. Looks like no math I've ever seen before. I think he's freaking out. Still no... what's his name?"

"Carlos. He only got off his EMT shift a couple of minutes ago. He'll be here." Molly shook her head, "He's such a little contradiction."

The front door bell rang and Molly kissed the side of her husband's head. "I'll get it."

Molly disappeared and Kevin kept watching Henry hunched over his piece of paper. He glanced where Juliana rested in an old crib they'd still had. Henry also wouldn't let them split him from his sister.

Kevin turned as he heard his wife and was presented with a young looking man he assumed was Carlos. "Kevin Legaspi."

Carlos shook the proffered hand, "The tall blonde one's twin brother." He walked into the guest room and Henry dropped everything and ran into his Uncle's arms. "Hey bud. Do you and Jules want to blow this pop stand?"

Henry nodded enthusiastically. Carlos went over to the crib and picked up Juliana as Henry retrieved her diaper bag. Carlos stopped at the room's door and spoke, "Thank you for taking care of them."

Kevin shook his head, "It was no problem, and Kim's not usually like that, leaving her responsibilities hanging like that."

Henry looked up at Molly, "Thank you Mrs. Legaspi."

Molly smiled, "You've very welcome Mr. Weaver."

With that Carlos led Henry out the front door as Molly put her arms around her husband, "I'm going to go hug our kids."

******

"Are we there yet?" Both Sam and Marks glanced over at Kim, who had the decency to look sheepish. "I know, I'm only on the bridge if I shut up and stay quiet."

Sam looked forward yet, "Marks, I want an update from the SGC once we come out of Hyper drive."

"Yes Colonel, and..." He smiled towards the front screen, "We're nearly there."

******

Kerry stood as Janet came stumbling in. It had been close, but the wall had just barely faded back to its dull appearance as Nirrti appeared. Janet met Cassie's eyes, but both women stayed silent as Nirrti yanked Kerry from the room and the door closed behind them.

Janet frowned, "What's going on Cassie? The wall was on, could Kerry read it?"

Cassie shook her head, "Of course not Mom. No, ah, Kerry had a less... philosophical I guess you could call it, solution to our problem."

"Oh?"

******

Kerry had been trying to move the second after Nirrti had put her under what really looked like a demented shower head. But nothing would move but her mouth and eyes. "You can't, won't get away with this. People will miss us."

Nirrti looked up and spoke in her freaky half growly voice, "You will be thought to be dead. The people of your planet are in the dark about the rest of the universe. So focused on their petty squabbles over inconsequential amounts of land. You are an interesting specimen. The other two were nearly bawling like one of your infants after they were put where you are."

Kerry met Nirrti's gaze and held it as long as she could before the alien looked back down at her readings. "Pain and I have a nice old history. Not to mention I'm a cuss worthy bitch when I need to be, plus..." Kerry realized she could almost move her head. "They know what the hell's goin' on. I don't. Ignorance is bliss."

Nirrti opened her mouth, but Kerry cut her off, "And I don't want to know."

"That is why you will never be more than our hosts."

The anger had been simmering almost since she'd disappeared from the exam room. Right under the surface and then something about Nirrti's sentence, perhaps its content, or maybe just her tone ignited it. It was like a warmth through all of Kerry's muscles and she was moving and out of the Goa'uld's contraption.

Nirrti's mouth dropped open as she let go of Kerry and the ER Chief crumpled to the ground. Nirrti stumbled one way, then the other, then fell to the ground.

Kerry should have stayed on the ground herself, but instead she climbed to her feet, it was in her bones to help someone, even if that someone had been trying to kill her or at least study her like a lab rat, moments before. Nirrti was the parasite inside the black haired woman according to the female Fraisers. That didn't mean that the host deserved to die.

The parasite was almost dead, it waited and waited. Its host prone on the ground, until the redhead was right over it, then with all the strength the host had left in it, jumped up, shoving the one who killed it towards the still on machine.

The parasite collapsed back down to the ground, letting the host take over for its final few moments of life. A smile came to the host's face, finally released from the hold of Nirrti at the same time that Kerry let loose an unearthly scream.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam was off like a shot when she heard the scream. It was a female scream, that's all that pounded through the Colonel's brain.

She came to a stop in the lab and part of her let an internal sigh loose as she saw it wasn't Janet or Cassie who had screamed. She let the two Lieutenants with her check on what had been Nirrti as she went over to the device's control panel and quickly found the off button. She knelt down next to Kerry and felt for a pulse, her eyes closing reflexively as she found a strong one.

A young blonde woman, a Major, entered the lab. "Colonel, we found where Nirrti was keeping the Doctors Fraiser. We show two life signs and are disabling the door right now."

Sam stood, "Good. Major Hailey I want Doctor Weaver taken directly to the infirmary, and Nirrti to an Iso room."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Sam narrowed her eyes at Jennifer for a moment, then shook her head. "And make sure they remove the control crystal that's in Nirrti's chest fully intact." With that she went down the hall, following the sound of cursing.

She moved the man gently to one side and spoke as she worked. "You need to keep the..." The door opened and Sam was the first one in, "Doctor Fraiser, Cassie... if you wanted to take a trip home, you could have gone through proper channels."

Cassie stood slowly and helped her mother stand, "Is Kerry okay?"

"On her way to the infirmary."

Janet grimaced as Sam supported her with an arm around the waist. "And Nirrti?"

"Dead again."

"Good riddance. Both the Goa'uld and the host?"

Sam got them out into the hall, "All will be explained Janet. Let's get you and Cassie feeling better."

******

"She's alive."

Abby's head popped up and pinned Rachel Greene with a look, "How do you know?"

Rachel handed Abby her iPhone and pointed at the story on its screen. Abby raised her eyebrows at Rachel. "An iPhone, really?"

Rachel shrugged, "Pretty sure Elizabeth lojacked it somehow."

Abby shook her head and squinted at the small screen, "How in the hell can you read this thing?" Rachel didn't respond and Abby quickly read the short news blurb, "Someone reported seeing her?"

Rachel took back her phone and slipped it into her pocket. "Yeah. That's good right?"

Abby sighed, "I don't know. People see Elvis all the time, now they'll probably start seeing MJ all the time. And that would mean that Kim was wrong, and..." Abby put her hand to her head, "I don't know Rachel. This is all giving me a hell of a headache. Have you seen Tony, or Wes?"

"Doctor Howard? I thought I saw Wes going over to the Jumbo Mart to meet his wife and son for... is it lunch or dinner time?"

Abby smiled, "Ah, Med School. I'm so glad I'm not a med student any longer. Before you go, could you go over there, tell him that while I appreciate the need for family time..."

"...he should get his ass over here. Got it Chief."

Abby cut Rachel off, "Don't... please, don't call me that."

Rachel looked sheepish, "Sorry Abby. I'll tell him."

Rachel left the ER and Randi appeared behind Abby, "Hey, you okay Abs?"

Abby sighed but didn't turn, "Long hours. Could do with a little TL..."

"Mommy... I'm back!!!"

Abby turned with a smile, "Joe." Joe went from Randi's arms to his mother's. "What're you doing here again bud? Gonna do this every day now?"

Joe threw his arms around Abby's neck an hugged with all his strength. Abby hugged him back.

After a minute he let go and looked at Randi, "Was that right Randi?"

Randi smiled as Joe climbed back into her arms, "Perfect munchkin. We should..."

The entire ER shook as an explosion sounded in the distance. Abby went into work mode. "Clear the trauma rooms and get someone from Surgery on the phone. Not that they don't know they're gonna be needed with that explosion."

Randi picked up the phone with her free hand and dialed Surgery's extension, as it was ringing she put Joe down in a chair and Abby spoke to him, "You sit there and don't move. Do you understand Josip?"

Joe nodded quickly, "Yes Mommy."

******

Kim stared down at Kerry. They were in an infirmary on a ship in space on the other side of the galaxy. She leaned over the redhead and kissed her forehead, her hair draping over Kerry's face like a curtain. She whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry."

A throat quietly cleared behind Kim and she slowly straighted back up and turned. "Colonel."

Sam came all the way into the infirmary, "Sorry to interrupt. Just coming to check on my patient."

Kim smiled gently, "That's how she talks about her ER. If someone's in the County General ER, they're her patient. She's been better at delegating, at letting some things go, saying no. But not too much better."

"Not to mention, her do it all attitude is what you love about her too."

Kim sighed, "Yeah, I do. But I screwed it up. I... the afternoon after she got transported away. Of course I thought she was dead, but that afternoon I slept with an ex."

Sam made a face, "Really."

Kim sank down into a chair by the bed. "I'm an idiot."

"That's putting it lightly." Sam leaned against a second unoccupied bed. "Are you going to tell her?"

"I have to."

Sam nodded, "Other people know."

"That's not..." Kim sighed, "Yes, they do. But that's not why I have to tell her. If I lie..." Kim shook her head, "Then everything I've preached in our relationship, this second part of it, then I didn't mean any of it."

"She'll probably break up with you."

Kim stared down at her hands, "I know." And back up at Sam, "Wouldn't you tell Janet?"

"I wouldn't do it Kim."

Kim stood again as she regarded Sam, "So you were just celibate all this time then?"

Sam crossed her arms over her chest, "You know it's two different situations Kim. Anyway, I need to get back to work."

Kim also crossed her arms over her chest, "Okay. You do that."

Sam looked one last time at Kerry, then left the infirmary. She nearly knocked over Janet. "What are you doing up Janet?"

Janet gave Sam a look, "Going to check on my friend and my family. Has Kerry come out of her coma?" Sam shook her head, "I'm on my way to look at her scans."

"You're not..."

Janet cut Sam off, "Yes, I'm not in the Air Force or with the SGC anymore, luckily for everyone, especially Kerry the USS Hammond is under weigh, which means, you're the only opinion that matters."

Sam shook her head and brushed her hand against Janet's, "You're right, of course. If you can do something for her... that'd be good for everyone."

Janet glanced at the door to the infirmary, then back to Sam. "Have you figured out how to resurrect us from the death people no doubt thought we suffered?"

Sam shook her head, "Working on it."

"You'll come up with something brilliant I have no doubt. Now I'm going to try to go wake Kerry up."

Janet continued towards the infirmary, but was stopped by Sam's voice, "Janet." Janet turned, "We're going to need to talk after this is over."

Janet nodded her agreement, "First, I should come back from the dead again though."

Sam smiled and watched Janet disappear into the infirmary and looked up as a voice sounded in her ear piece. "Colonel, you're needed on the bridge."

Sam tapped the ear piece. "I'm on my way Marks."

******

"One more time, 300..." Abby paused, "Clear..."

The heart paddles thumped as the body under them seemed to jump. The flat line jumped as well for a second, then went flat again.

It was Haleh who put a hand on Abby's shoulder. "He's gone Abby. You know it, he's been down for more than forty minutes."

Abby stared down at the man on her gurney. Then up at the clock, "Time of death, fifteen forty three."

She snapped off her gloves and spoke to Chaz. "His wife and son?"

Chaz looked a bit sick to his stomach, but somehow pried his eyes from the gurney. "Exam two Doctor Lockhart. She's on a monitored bed, his son doesn't have a scratch on him."

"She's conscious?"

Chaz nodded, "Yes."

Abby left the trauma room without another word. Chaz looked down at the man on the table, "Wes, how... another son without his father."

Haleh put an arm around the Med student, "John Howard's life will never be the same, but he'll be okay, just like you."

Chaz looked over, "I didn't loose my father, just Greg."

Haleh moved away from Chaz to collect the things they need to use to clean up Wes, "Just Greg. Nice try Chaz Pratt."

******

"Oh, I've got it."

Sam blinked the day dream from her eyes, "Got what Marks?"

Lieutenant Colonel Marks turned in his seat, "You're not gonna like it." Sam stared at Marks, who quickly continued, "Collapse the room. They disappeared from a room, right. Collapse it. Delayed, but proof that a bomb weakened the structure. Then, 'find' Doctors Fraiser and Doctor Weaver. That just leaves the fact that Doctor Legaspi is sure she saw them still in there right before the transport. So, she has to recant. Because they couldn't have been in that room if a small bomb went off."

"Marks."

"Colonel?"

Sam shook her head, "It's a good plan, I knew there was a reason I chose you to be my second in command. Still, keep your day job."

"Yes Colonel."

******

"Mommy..."

Abby pried her eyes open. She was home. She wasn't sure how she'd gotten home, but she smelled something cooking in the kitchen which she hoped meant Randi, not Maggie was cooking.

Abby glanced down at her son, who was curled up next to her. "Joe."

"Will Daddy die like that?"

"NO." Abby modulated her voice, "No... no. Hey, we should call him."

"Now? Right now?"

Abby could hear the joy in her son's voice and she sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening that Luka would be on the other end of the phone. "Right now. Get my cell, okay."

Joe was off like a shot. Maggie appeared a moment later and Abby's face fell. Maggie bit back a smile, "Randi'll be home soon. Are you okay?"

"The Jumbo Mart blew up, Wes Howard, the redheaded rez died."

Maggie frowned, "Wesley died?"

Abby sighed, "I didn't even know he had a family, wife and son, until today. John Howard. Kerry would have known. She..."

Joe reappeared and Abby cleared her throat, "Ready."

Abby nodded, "Go for it kiddo."

Joe got to the number for Luka and waited, and waited. Then his eyes lit up, "Daddy, it's Joe." He practically bounced. "I'm good, are you? Have you seen elephants. We learned about them. Did you know there are more different kinds than just one. Tomorrow we do the lion, I like the Elephant. Which is your favorite."

Luka got a chance to speak on the other end of the phone, but only for a moment and then Joe was off again. Abby closed her eyes and let the words wash over her.

She was jerked to full wakefulness as Joe shook her a few minutes later and handed her the phone. "Here's Daddy."

Abby rubbed at her eyes, "Luka."

"What's wrong Abby?"

Abby closed her eyes, "We're fine Luka. You need to come home. Work anywhere from New York to LA, I don't care, but Joe needs his father in the continental US."

There was silence on the African side of the connection, "And you Abby?"

"I need Joe to have two parents."

Another pause, "It won't be right away. But... if you think it's best for him, for all of us..."

Abby sighed, "Yes."

"Then we'll talk again soon. Good-bye Abby."

"Bye Luka." Abby flipped closed the phone and sighed, tomorrow had to be better.


	9. Chapter 9

"No one called me?"

Dave swallowed and pointed at Kim who was talking to the Detective in charge of the case, Kay something. "Told me not to. Doctor Fraiser and Cassie are fine, though a little disoriented. They both went home, well, to Cassie's apartment. But Kerry's not doing well."

"Coma? Machines? She wouldn't want too many machines."

Dave shook his head, "Not a coma. She's even breathing on her own. Neuro came down here and took some readings. I think they're still trying to unscramble them. It's like someone took a finished jigsaw puzzle and rearranged hunks of the pieces. They're thinking about ECT, see if they can restart the brain."

"What, and maybe take away who the hell she is. Over my dead body."

Kim approached the two attendings and Dave decided that seeing to patients was more important. "We're going to try ECT."

"Kim, c'mon, you should know better than anyone what could happen. OR maybe you want her to forget everything. Clean slate. No sleeping with your ex when you thought Kerry was dead. Damnit Kim, you said you were sure she was still in that room when whatever the hell it was went off."

Kim sighed, "I was wrong." Kim glanced up as Chuny and Kerry's gurney appeared in the hall. "I... please just trust me that I know what's best for Ker. Despite everything, I love her so much, and all I want is to see her open her eyes and say my name."

Abby stared daggers at Kim. "And you'll tell her."

"Of course."

"She'll probably break up with you."

Kim sighed again, "I know." She glanced up, Chuny was waiting at the elevator with Kerry on the gurney. "I need to go Abby. I'll call you from upstairs if anything changes."

Abby nodded as Frank spoke up, "Multiple MVA coming in."

******

"You can do this Sam."

Sam looked down at the round Goa'uld healing device she held in her hand. "I have to. Hopefully Goa'uld tech can undo whatever the Ancient Device did to her."

Janet cracked a bit of a grin, and put an arm around Sam. "Don't worry, we're nearly to the dénouement. It will work. So..."

"Us."

"Yes, the thing we've been putting off talking about for seven months."

Sam practically stared at the door, willing it to open so that they'd have to cut the conversation short. It didn't work. "Is this where I'm supposed to suggest I retire and... and... I don't know. Start a motorcycle business or something?"

"No. Be fair to me though Sam. This is more complicated than a stupid coin flip you know."

One of the edges of Sam's mouth curved up in just a bit of a smile, "That ending did quite suck didn't it."

Janet moved so that they were facing one another. "Hey, I understand that you're not the teacher, not the desk jockey, you need to be out there, saving the world. Getting your hands dirty."

"Maybe." Sam shrugged, "Maybe I can learn not to need that stuff?"

"I wouldn't want you to. Can you live here? When you're not..." Janet raised her eyebrows.

"I don't know. That's an option huh? You'd work here?"

Janet chuckled, "Ah, no, they can't afford me. But I'm sure I can find something and I think that Cassie really likes it here." Janet paused, "but we don't have to make a decision right this second, right?"

"Right. Hey, at least we're not like Sharon and Camile."

Janet frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Destiny, I assume since you were snooping you heard about the Ancient ship named Destiny?" Janet nodded, "Cam was on it."

Janet's breath whistled through her teeth, "Oh Lord. That must..."

"Suck monkey balls."

Janet blinked, "You've been talking to General O'Neill too much hon, but yes. So, take a mental note. Adventures are good, but I would appreciate it if you tried to stay in the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies okay?"

Sam kissed Janet and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman. "I'll do my best." The phone hooked on her scrubs buzzed and she let go of Janet. "We're on."

Kim rolled the gurney Kerry was on into the room and the door closed behind them. "You really think this will work?"

Janet started to hook up a couple of final monitors to Kerry. "It won't hurt her if it doesn't work. Hey, have faith. She's always been a tough son of a bitch. At least the years I've known her."

Kim nodded, Janet turned on the ECT machine for cover noise, just in case and both women stepped back. Sam took a deep breath and seemed to wave the round device over Kerry's head. After a moment it and Sam's hand seemed to light up. Kim started to take a step towards the two women, but Janet's hand stopped her. They just watched and watched.

Finally Sam let her arms fall to her side and took a step back and sighed. "Either it worked or it didn't."

Sam moved away from the bed and Kim took her place. She brushed back Kerry's hair, "Please wake up. There are so many people out here who want to see you. Dave, Abby, Randi, your kids. Henry needs you so much, if he lose another mother..." Kim swallowed, "I'm not sure he can come back from you dying. So please wake up..."

A groan came from Kerry, "Never was asleep." She slowly opened her eyes and looked into Kim's. "Please leave Kim."

Kim stared at Kerry for a long moment. She finally looked down at their intertwined hands, nodded, and let go. She left the room without another word.

It was Sam who broke the silence, "You heard Kim on the Hammond."

It wasn't a question, but Kerry nodded affirmatively anyway. "I need a knee brace, then I need to see Henry and Juliana."

"Kerry..."

Janet forestalled Sam, "Of course. Let's get you back with your family."


	10. Chapter 10

Kerry was fast realizing that being the alpha bitch of the ER had advantages over having friends and colleagues on the staff. For one, unless she had been literally dying no one gave a damn how she was feeling. With the new Weaver/Staff relationship everyone had inquired about how she was doing.

Of course, they could have been asking because she wasn't really supposed to be back yet. But she had been going insane at home. Too many thoughts running through her head and no babies wailing and druggies screaming to drown them out. At work there was only work.

She hadn't spoken to Kim for two weeks and Kim hadn't tried to contact her either. One part of Kerry was relieved about that. The other just wanted to pretend like the whole freaky trip to another planet, another solar system just hadn't happened.

The relieved part was in the lead.

"Ker." Kerry stared down at Kim's hand on her arm. Kim removed it after a beat, "I'm not running away."

Kerry stared at Kim and stared and stared. "A suggestion. Let your Residents and other Attendings take the Psych consults." Kerry turned on her heel and strode down the hall. Because of the temporary arm cuff crutch on her right side it was the same walk as the day that they had met years before. A lump formed in Kim's throat. Kim hadn't generally been a butt woman before that day, she'd always appreciated the top of a woman's body just a tiny bit more than the rest. But Kerry, her walk, her back, was like a siren call to Kim.

Kim closed her eyes and came back to the present. When she opened them Kerry was gone from the hall. The blonde sighed, picked up her clipboard and started for the elevators. It was time to get back to work. Kerry was alive and Kim was alive. There would be time and Kim would win the redhead back. No short cuts, no lies, and definitely no Christy.

******

Fin ~ January 4th, 2010


End file.
